CA1309050C - Method and apparatus for separation of heterogeneous phase - Google Patents

Method and apparatus for separation of heterogeneous phase

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Publication number
CA1309050C
CA1309050C CA 566258 CA566258A CA1309050C CA 1309050 C CA1309050 C CA 1309050C CA 566258 CA566258 CA 566258 CA 566258 A CA566258 A CA 566258A CA 1309050 C CA1309050 C CA 1309050C
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CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
phase
water
separation zone
separation
middlings
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired
Application number
CA 566258
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Aldo Corti
John A. Falcon
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Gulf Canada Ltd
Rtr Oil Sands (Alberta) Ltd
Original Assignee
Gulf Canada Resources Inc
Rtr Oil Sands (Alberta) Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Gulf Canada Resources Inc, Rtr Oil Sands (Alberta) Ltd filed Critical Gulf Canada Resources Inc
Priority to CA 566258 priority Critical patent/CA1309050C/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of CA1309050C publication Critical patent/CA1309050C/en
Expired legal-status Critical Current

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Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
The invention provides a process for extracting bitumen from oil sands. The process includes the step of conditioning the oil sands by adding hot water and steam to the oil sands. The conditioned oil sands are then introduced into a separation zone.
Separation of the oil sands into a bitumen froth phase, a middlings phase and a tailings phase occurs in the separation zone. Water with air dissolved therein is continuously injected under pressure upwardly through the separation zone. The water is at a low temperature relative to the oil sands. At least two of the phases are then separately withdrawn from the separation zone.

Description

This invention relates to a method and apoaratus for se?aration or he~erogeneous phases, and more particularly to a modified hot water process and apparatus for e~Ytracting bitumen fro~ oil sands.

Oil sands, also known as tar sands or bituminous sands, are sand deposits which are impregnated with bi~uminous oil.
The largest known deposit in ~he wor~d is in the Athabasca region in Alberta, Canada. Athabasca oil sands are a mixture of bitumen, solids and water. Bitumen content is variable, ranging from 0 to 20% with an average of 12~. Water content is normally bet~een 3 and 5%. A substantial portion of the oil sands is situated near ~he surface, where it may readily be mined and processed to synthetic crude oil.

Several extraction methods to separate bitumen from the sand have been known for many years, but only those based on hot water treatment are commercially used at presentO In their different conigurationsj the processes based on hot water treatment consist of several steps~

In the first step, known as the conditioning or digestion step, oil sanas are mixed with alkaline hot water anc (ootimally) steam ~o form a pulp or a slurry.

I~ the second step, known as the separation step, the conditionea mixture of bitumen, water and solids separates into its components. The bulk of the sand-sized solids separates into a coarse solids or tailings phase and is withdrawn. Most of the bitumen floats to the surface of the mixture to form a bitumen froth phase and is recovered. A third phase, known as the middlings phase, containing part of the bitumen and part of the fine solids, is also withdrawn for further treatment. This treatment may include a scavenging or a flocculation/
clarification stage.

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In the third s.ep, known as the froth clean-up step, most o~ the water an~ solids in t~le froth are separated from the bitumen be~ore the bitumen itself is sent to an upgrader.

~ or optimu~ separation the objectives to be achieve~
are to withdraw the tailinss phase with as little entrapoed bitu~en as pos~ible; to recover ~he bituminous froth phase with as little entralned water and solids as possible; and to withdraw ~he middlings phase with as lit~le bitumen carryover as possible.

In the prior art, the separation step of the process is generally carried out in a single vessel in which~ in practice, it is difIicult to achieve the above objectives. A single vessel can be used to provide satisfactory separatian when good grade oil sands are processed. Good grade oil sands contain at least 13% bitumen and less than 10% fines. ~owever, oil sands wlth higher amounts of clay and lower amounts of bitumen cannot be separated satisfactorily using ~ si~gle vessel. This is because the clay in the oil sands ~ends to act as an emulsion s.abilizer. With incre~sing a~.ou~ts of clay in the oil sands, the bitumen droplet size decreases and the viscosity of the middlingc phase inc:e_ses, inhibiting the separation of bitumen from the tailings ar.c m~aclings phases.

~ o decrease bitl,..en losses to the middlings and tailings, additional s.e~s have been added to existing processes. In one suc:~ process disclosed in U.S. patent no.
4,545,892 ~Cymbalisty), ~n addition ~o a sc~venging treatment of the middlings stream, the solid tailin~s are recovered from the bottom of the firs. se?ar~tion vessel and fed to a second separation vessel in series with ~he first one. Part o the bitumen ent~apped in the tailings is recovered in ~he second separation vessel.

Another process (Cymbalis~Y ~. S. patent no. 3,g35,076) has been proposed in which the conditioned oil sands are first fed to a separation vessel in which coarse sand is backwashed 't,-~
~ '~

with water and is separated fxom a liquid stream comprising both aqueous and hydrocarbon phases. The coarse solids are dis~osed and the licuid s~ream is passed to a second vessel where liquid/liquid separation betweQn middlings and bituminous Eroth takes place. In this process, the recovery of bi~u~en entrained by the sand is accomplished only by the upward velocity or the liquid phase through the coarse solids.

In U.5. patent number 3,951,799 (Anderson), a bitumen extraction process is shown wherein ~he middlings from ~he separation vessel are recycled to the bottorn or the separation vessel. This method has the advantage of diluting the settled sand, but requires uni~or~ distribution or the rec~cle through a static distri~utor.

U.S. patent number 4,172,025 ~Porteous et al) shows separate vessels for phase separation and air flotation.

In U.5. patent number 3,963,599 (Davitt), all process streams are saturated with air, includi~y the solid slurry, middlings and sludge accumulated at the bottom of the tailings pond. In this process, sophisticated equipmen~ is required to pump and maintain the s~re~s unce~ pressure. ~oreover, the streams are saturated a~ h~gh t^...Deratures, whic:~ is less efficient than saturating stre_~s at low temD@ra~ures.

A dif~erent approacb is shown in Canadian pate~t number 1,165,712 (Dente et al). Two se~arate streams~ a li~uid-rich stream and a solids-rich s~ream, are recovered during the conditioning s~ep. Each strea~ is fed into a separate vessel.
The liquid-rich stream is fe~ into an oil/wate! separator, and the solids-rich stream is ~ed to a desander. The bitumen ent-apped in the solids~rich s~ream is released and is recovered at the top of the desander. This arrangement presents the advantage of splitting the bituminous froth load between two vessels instead of one. However, it is disadvantageOUS in that the solid-rich stream tends to be diluted with bitumen-contaminated middlings.

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In all of the prior art processes, the coarse solids are discharged from the process at process temperature so that substantiai amounts of the heat content of the stream are lost from the process.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved method and appara~us for the recovery of bitumen from oil sands.

Accordingly, the invention provides a process for ex~racting bitumen fro~ oil sands. The oil sand~ are first conditioned by adding alkaline hot water and op~imally steam thereto. The conditioned sands are then introduced into a separation zone. In this zone, the oil sands are allowed to separate into a bitumen froth phase, a middlings phase and a tailings phase. Water is continuously passed upwardly through the separation zones~ This water is under pressure and has dissolved air therein. The wa~er is also at a low temperature relative to the conditioned oil s~nds. Subsequently, at least two of the phases are withdrawn separately from the separation zone.

The passing of water unde~ ~ressure into the separation zone causes air dissolved in the wate- to be released as small bubbles due ~o the decrease in pressure and increase in temperature. These bubbles collide with the bitumen droplets entrapped in the settled solids in the tailings phase and carry the bitumen droplets to the bitumen froth phase. The injection of water also establishes a net upwards liquid flow extending throu~h the entire separator which helps to carry upwards bitumen droplets not contacted by the air bubbles. The injection of water thereby increases the a~ount of bitumen in the froth. As ~he water is at a lower temperature than the solids-rich and liquid-rich stream5 and as it is also preferably injected directly below the interface between the middlings phase and the tailings phase where the solids settle, it also ~3~
xchanges heat with the settling solids, thereby increasing the thermal efficiency of the process.

Preferably, the middlings are treated to remove impurities therefrom and obtain clarifie~ water. Optionally, air may be ~issolved in the c~arified water and may then be recycled upstream through the separation zone. This clarified recycled water helps to carry air into the separation ~one and give a net upstream liquid flow.

Preferably, the separation zone comprises a first separation ~one and a second separation zone. The oil sands separate into a solids-rich stream and a li~uid-rich strea~
after conditioning, and the solids-rich stream is introduced into the first separation zone and said liquids-rich stream is introduced into the second separation zone.

Preferably, the first separation zone which receives the solids-rich stream is a desander and the second separation zone which receives the li~uid-rich stream is a froth/middlings separator.

The use of a separate desander and qeparator provides tne advantage of de~reasing the specific load of froth, middlings and tailings in each apparatus, thereby improving the separation of the three phases.

The water is preferably at a temperature ranging between 4 and 40C and has a pH in the range of 7 to 9.5. Most preferably the pH is between ~.5 and 9Ø The water is preferably saturated with air at a pressure of at least 250kPa, preferably in the range ~50 to 700kPa, before entering the desander and the separator. The desander and separator vessels are preferably at atmospheric pressure. The location of injection of water is preferably chosen to be approximately just underneath the middlings/solids interface.

, . ...
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In another of its aspects, the invention provides a phase separation device to separate a feed into a tailings phase and at least one other phase. The device comprises a vessel wherein the feed separates into a tailings phase and at least one other phase. The vessel has a feed inlet to allow feed to enter the vessel, and outlets for each of the separated phases. A rake is rotatably mounted near the base of the vessel to rake the base of the vessel. A water injector is supporte(l on the rake and rotatable therewith.
This injector in~ects water with air dissolved therein under pressure at a location below the interface of the tailings phase and one of the other phases.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will naw be described, by way of illustration only, with reference to the following drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a schematic representation of a hot water process for extracting bitumen from oil sands according to the invention;
Figure 2 is schematic representation of a hot water process for extracting bitumen from oil sands according to the invention, which is an alternative embodiment to that shown in Figure l;
Figure 3 is a schematic representation of a single vessel hot water process for extracting bitumen according to the invention, which is an alternative embodim~nt to that shown in Figure l;
Figure 4 is a schematic cross-section oi a separation apparatus according to the invention;
Figure S is a top view of the separation apparatus of Figure 4;
Figures 6A and 6~ are side and front views respectively of another rake for use in the apparatus of Figure 4; and Figures 7A and 7B are siae and front views respectively of another rake for use in the apparatus in Figure 4.

As can be seen in Flgure 1, oil sands are fed into an app2ratus for carrying out a process of e~t:rac~ing bitumen from oil sanas through a line 10. These oil sands are contacted with clarified recycle water through line 12 which is heated by steam from pipe 11. The recycle water is obtained from water treater 13 through line 15, as will be discussed later. The mixture of oil sanàs and ho~ water passes through pipe 14 to diqester 16.
In the digester, the mixture separates into a liquid-rich stream ana a solids-rich stream. The solids rich stream passes through a pipe 18 and is diluted with water passing through pipe 20.

The solids-rich stream then passes through a screen 21, wherein larger particles are separated, passed through line 22 and discarded. The solids-rih stream is ~hen fed into a desander 24. The liquid-rich stream is passed directly through line 26 to roth/middlings separator 2~. Cold make-up water, preferably at about 4C, at a pH of 7.0 and saturated with air at 700kPa ~rom a make-up water source is injected under modera~e pressure, to keep ~he air in solution, through line 30 into the lower part o 'che desarlder 24 a~a in~o the separ~or 28 through pi3es 32 a 34 res~ec~ve'y~ Also, clarifie~ recJcle water at 6~C, at a -~. of 9.0 and saturated with air at 700k~ is injec_ed under moderate pressure into ~he lower parts o tne aesande 24 and the separator 28 through pipes 36 and 38 res?ectively.

Separa~ion of ~he solids-rich and liquid-rich s~.reams occurs in both the desander 24 and the separator 28. Each of the s~reams separates into a bitum~n froth phase which floats on the top, a tailings phase which settles in the bottom and a middlings phase intermediate be~ween ~he froth and tailinss phas es .

In the base of both ~he desander 24 and the separator 28, a tailings stream i5 collected through pipes 40 and 42 5~
respectively. The tailings stream from the desander 24 contains most of the coarse solids originally present in the oil sands, and some fine minerals and some hydrocarbons still entrapped in the coarse solid matrix. The tailings stream collected at the base of the separator 28 contains some coarse solids carried from the digester and some settled fine minerals.

Froth streams containing most of the bitumen originally present in the oil sands together with water and solids are collected at the top o~ both ~he desander 24 and ~he separator 26 through pipes 44 and 46 respectively. These lines are connected to combine the froth streams and the combined froth strea~ is fed to a conventional froth treatn~ent apparatus 49 through pipe 480 In this apparatus, the bituminous froth is diluted with a light hydrocarbon ad~ed through line 50 and is treated for the removal of water and minerals which contaminate the bitumen. ~iluted product exits from the froth treatment apparatus through pipe 52 and is sent to downstream operations.
The water and minerals separated from the hydrocarbon phase exit the froth treat~,ent apparatus through line 54 and are sent to disposal.

~ iddlings st_ea~,s are withdrawn from both the desander 24 and the separator 2~ a~ a location intermediate between the base and the top o. eac:~ or the ap~aratuses through pipes 56 and 5d respectively. The mi~dlings streams contain, in suspension, so~e hydrocarbon and part of the fine materials originally present in the oil sands and disaggregated in the digester. The pipes 56 and 58 are connected to combine the middlings streamsJ
and the combined middlings stream is fed to a conventional water treatment apparatus 13 through pipe 60. This conventional water treat~ent apparatus 13 includes apparatus suitable for flocculation, clarification, centrifuging and settling. The recultant clarified water is saturated with air at a pressure of 700kPa and recycled back into the apparatus ~hrouqh pipe 15 to lines 12, 36 and 38 as previously discussed. The sludge removed in the water treatment apparatus is withdrawn through pipe 62, ~ 8 --G~
combined with the tailings strea~l passing through pipe 42 and discarded.

Figure 2 shows a ~,odi~ied arrangement of the process.
Apparatus similar to the ap~aratus shown in Figure 1 is indicated by the same reference rumerals, followed by the suffix a One difference between this modified arrangement and the arrangement of ~igure 1 is that a single stream is removed from the top of the desander 24a through pipe 64. This pipe is connected to pipe 26a carrying the liquid-rich stream from the digester 16a to form a single combined stream. ~he combined stream is fed into the separator 28a. Another difference is that make-up water from pipe 30a is only fed into the base of the desander 24a and not into the separator 28a.

The apparatus of Figure 1 can be changed into the configuration of Figure 2 simply by rearranging some of the piping.

The configuration of Figure 2 is suitable for use when good grade oil sands are processed havinc a bi~umen content of at least 13%, an~ z f_nes content of less than 10%. When good grade oil sand is used, there is less bitumen lost to the tailings stream and to the middlings stream, and therefore it is not necessary to inje~ make-up water into the separator 28a.
As less water is necessary when processing good grade oil sands, the specific loads of the desander 24a and the separator 28a can be reduced. The vessels can therefore be run in series rather than in parallel. As less bitumen is entrapped in the solids-rich stream with good grade oils, it is only necessary to remove a single liquid stream from the desander ~6a.

Figure 3 shows an alternative embodiment of the invention. Apparatus simi}ar to the apparatus shown in Fi~ure 1 is indicated by the same reference numerals, followed by the suffix "b~. In this embodiment, all of the effluent from ., ~3~
i~estoL 16b is sen~ to a desander 24b. Cold mak~-up water ana clarifiea water are introduced countercurrently into the desanaer 24~. A froth phase, a tailings phase and a middlings phase are formed in the desander. T~ese phases are separately remo~ea and treatea as describeà above with respect to Figure 1. In this embodiment, a sepa~ator is not required. This embodiment is suitabLe for use with gooà grade oil sands.
.

Figures 4 and 5 show a separation apparatus 66 particularly suitable for use with the process of the present invention. This apparatus 66 can ei~her function as a desander 24 or as a separator 28. This apparatus 66 consists of a closed vessel 68 having a cylindrical walL 70, an inclinea frustroconical base 72 and a frustroconical tailings outlet 74 at the centre of the base 72. A ~eed inlet pipe 76 extends through the wall 70, to a feed well 80 near the centre of the vessel. At least two middlings outlets a2 (only ~ne shown) are located around the periphe~ of the vessel imtermediate the base 72 and top 86 of the vessel. A froth outlet 88 is located near the top 86 of the vessel.

A rake ~ is disposed inside the vessel near the base 72 and includes a rotatabLe shaft 92 which e~tends from the base 72 through an opening 94 in ~he top 86 of the vessel 68. As can best been seen in ~igure 5, the shaf~ 92 has three raaially extending arms 96 attached to the base thereof, each with six curved plate blades 9~ mounte~ thereon at an angle of more than 45 to the arm 96. The arms 96 are made up of two facing, ~arallel, spaced channels.

The apparatus operates as follows. Feed enters the separator and settLes into tailings 91, middlings 93 and froth phases 95. The rake 90 is adjustable in height so that the arms 96 are in the middlings phase 93 and the blades 98 are in the tailings 91 phase. The shaft 92 is rotated by suitable means, thereby rotating the ar~s 96 and blades 98. The blades 98 are mounted at a suitable angle to the arms g6 so as to push the tailings towards the tailings outlet 74~
3~

The moveme~t of the bLades 98 in the tailings phase causes a zone of greater solids compaction in front of each blade 98 and a zone oI low~r 501ids compaction behind each blade 98. This action o~ th~ blades 98 allows some bitumen droplets trapped in the tailings to be freed.

The rake arms also serve as supports for the injection of water containing dissolved air. Figures 6A, 6B, 7A and 7B
show water injectors sui~able ~or use with the apparatus of Figures 4 and 5. As can be-seen in Figure 6, a water pipe 102 coaxial wi~h the rake shaf~ 92 and rotatable therewith e~tends downwardly into the vessel 68 and terminates adjacent to the arms 96. A number of headers 104, corresponding to the number of arms 96 extend radially from the water pipe 102 between the channels 100 ~f the arms 96. ~ plurality of liquid distributors are mounted on the headers 104 in such a manner that they are in fluid communic~tion with the headers 104. Each of these distributors are positioned ~n the outermost side lOS of each of the blades 98 of the rake~ As can be seen in Figures 6A, 6B, 7A
and 7Br these distributors 106 consist of a length of pipe 108 with nozzles 110 therein.

In oneration, as the rake shaf~ ~otatest the wate~ pipe 102 rotates s~ that the headers 104 and arms 96 rotate together. ~ater is then injecte~ through the nozzle5 liO.

; Figures 6A and 6~ show an embodiment wherein distributors 106 are all at the same elevation. In this e~bodiment t~e blades 98 are of different heigh~s to correspond to the shape of the base of the vessel.

In the e~bodiment of Figures 7A and 7B, the distributors 106 ar~ ~Tn-shaped with the ~ail 112 of each ~T"
being connected to the header 1~. The length of the tails 112 varies with each distributor 106 SQ tha~ the outermost distributors 106 are at a higher elevation ~han the innermost distributors 106.

- Ll -~3~

It is to be appreciated ~hat modifications can be made to the prererreà embodiment within the scope of the invention as describea and claimed~ The distributors 106 may have holes punched therein or simple nipDles instead of nozzles llO. The~e can be any number o arms g6, blaaes 9~ and distributors 106.
The arms and dis~ributors can be either straight or curvea. The distributo~s 106 could be located anywhere, although the~f are each preferably loc~ted on the outermost siue of a respective blade 98.

The invention will be further describea with reference to the following e~ample.

EXAMPLE

A process similar to that shown in Figure 1 was operated with a feed of l,000 kg per hour. The process conditions in the desander and froth/middlings separation vessel are summarized in Tables 1 and 2 respectively . As can be seen from these tables, ~he bi~umen content of the tailings phase is decreased when cold make-up w~er with air dissolved therein is passed ^ountercurrently through the desanàer ana froth/middlings separation vessel.

T~BLE 1 DESANDE_ ~AS~3 ON 1,000 KG/E~ OIL SA~DS
~N 1 2 Desand e r 1,716.0 1,71~
% bitumen 2.38 2.40 % solids - 43O00 42.80 Nil 2g4.3 T C _ 4 P kPa - 700 Desanae~_Tails (Ra/H? . 1,135.3 1,130.00 96 bitumen 0 81 0.39 % soll~s 63 74 62.85 56.3 60.~
% bitumen 47 25 46.98 96 sa lids 5 75 6 .15 5 3 S . 4 8 2 ~ . a % bitumen 0~g4 1.03 % solids 2.06 Z-50 E~OT~/MIO~LINGs S~ RATOR
. _ BAS~D ON l, 00C KG/H OIL SAN~S
RtlN 1 2 Feed (Ka/H) 1,540.1 1,Sl2.5 % bitumen 5 33 5 43 ~6 so l id s 7 5 Clarifled Wa~er Re~-~cle (Ka/H) Nil 325.û

P k~a . - 600 SeDaratOr Tails (Ra/~) 124.3 130.5 % bitumen o.ao 0.38 % solias 58.22 55.6' ~ 13 g . 5 1 4 0 . 7 % bitumen 49.25 48.6;
% solids D,.66 4.80 Se~arator Mid~linas (~;a/E}) 1.275.a 1,5O6.3 % bitumen 0-~7 0~84 % s~lids 2.85 .Z.37

Claims (31)

1. A process for extracting bitumen from oil sands, comprising the steps of:
(a) conditioning the oil sands by adding alkaline hot water and optionally steam to said oil sands;
(b) introducing said conditioned oil sands into a separation zone;
(c) allowing said oil sands to separate into a bitumen froth phase, a middlings phase and a tailings phase in said separation zone;
(d) continuously passing water upwardly through said separation zone, said water being under pressure and having dissolved air therein and said water being at a low temperature relative to said conditioned oil sands; and (e) withdrawing at least two of said phases separately from said separation zone.
2. The process of claim l including the step of effecting flotation of bitumen droplets, effecting a net upwards liquid flow extending through the separation zone and effecting heat exchange between said tailings phase and said water by carrying out step (d).
3. The process of claim 1 wherein said water with air dissolved therein is injected under pressure into said separation zone below the interface of said middlings phase and said tailings phase.
4. The process of claim 1 wherein make-up water with air dissolved therein is passed upwardly through said separation zone.
5. The process of claim 1 wherein said middlings are treated to remove impurities therefrom and obtain clarified water, and wherein said clarified water is recycled countercurrently through said separation zone.
6. The process of claim 4 wherein said water is at a temperature ranging between 4 and 40°C.
7. The process of claim 1 wherein the water is saturated with air.
8. The process of claim 1 wherein the water is saturated with air at a pressure of at least 250kPa, preferably in the range of 250-700kPa, before entering the said separation zone.
9. The process of claim 5 or 6 wherein said water is saturated with air at a pressure in the range of 250-700kPa, before entering said separation zone.
10. The process of claim I wherein said separation zone is at atmospheric pressure.
11. The process of claim 1 wherein the bitumen froth phase, the middlings phase and the tailings phase are all withdrawn separately from said separation zone.
12. The process of claim 1 wherein said oil sands separate into solids-rich stream and a liquid-rich stream after conditioning and wherein said separation zone comprises a first separation zone and a second separation zone, said solids-rich stream being introduced into said first separation zone and said liquids-rich stream introduced into said second separation zone.
13. The process of claim 12 wherein make-up water with air dissolved therein is passed through at least one of said first and second separation zones.
14. The process according to claim 12 wherein said tailings phase is withdrawn separately from said middlings phase and said bitumen froth phase in said first
15. The process according to claim 14 wherein said middlings phase and said bitumen froth phase are withdrawn together in said first separation zone, and are passed through said second separation zone with said liquid-rich stream.
16. The process according to claim 15 wherein said bitumen froth phase, said middlings phase, and said tailings phase are all withdrawn separately from said second separation zone.
17. A process for extraction bitumen from oil sands, comprising the steps of:
(a) conditioning the oil sands by adding alkaline hot water and optionally steam to said oil sand to obtain a solids-rich stream and a liquid-rich stream;
(b) passing said solids-rich stream through a first separation one and said liquid-rich stream through a second separation zone;
(c) allowing said solid-rich stream and said liquid-rich stream each to separateinto a bitumen froth phase, a middlings phase and a tailing phase;
(d) continuously passing water with air dissolved therein upwardly and under pressure through said first separation zone and said second separation zone, said water being at a lower temperature than said solids-rich and liquid-rich streams; and (e) withdrawing at least two of said phase separately from said first separationzone and said second separation zone.
18. The process of claim 17 wherein said water is injected into each of said separation zones below the interface of said middlings phase and said tailings phase.
19. The process of claim 17 wherein make-up water is passed upwardly through at least one of said first and second separation zones.
20. The process of claim 17 wherein said middlings are treated to remove impurities therefrom and obtain clarified water, and wherein said clarified water is recycled countercurrently through said first and second separation zones.
21. The process of claim 1 wherein the water is saturated with air at a pressure of at least 250kPa, preferably in the range of 250-700klPa, before entering said first and second separation zones.
22. The process of claim 20 wherein said water is saturated with air at a pressure in the range of 250-700kPa, before entering said first and second separation zones.
23. The process of claim 17 wherein said first and second separation zones are at atmospheric pressure.
24. The process of claim 17 wherein the bitumen froth phase, the middlings phase and the tailings phase are all withdrawn separately from said first and second separation zones.
25. The process of claim 24 wherein said make-up water is passed countercurrently through both said first and second separation zones.
26. The process of claim 17 wherein said tailings phase is withdrawn separately from said middlings phase and said bitumen froth phase in said first separation zone.
27. The process of claim 26 wherein said middlings phase and said bitumen froth phase are withdrawn together in said first separation zone, and are passed through said second separation zone with said liquid-rich stream.
28. The process of claim 27 wherein said bitumen froth phase, said middlings phase, and said tailings phase are all withdrawn separately from said second separation zone.
29. A phase separation device to separate a feed into a tailings phase and at least one other phase comprising:

a feed inlet to allow said feed to enter the vessels;
a vessel wherein said feed separates into a tailings phase and at least one other phase;
outlets for each of the separated phases;
a rake rotatably mounted near the base of vessel to rake the tailing phase in the base of the vessel; and a water injector for injecting water with air dissolved therein under pressure, said injector being supported on said rake and rotatable therewith at a location directly below the interface of said tailings phase and said other phase.
30. The phase separation device of claim 29 wherein said rake comprises a rotatable central shaft with a plurality of arms mounted thereon, each of said arms having a plurality of blades mounted thereon, at an angle to said arms and wherein said water injection means comprises a rotatable central pipe coaxial with said shaft and having a plurality of headers connected thereto, said headers extending parallel to said arms, each of said headers having a plurality of water distributors mounted thereon, each of said distributors being located adjacent to a respective blade.
31. AR process for extracting bitumer from oil sands, comprising the steps of:
(a) conditioning the oil sands by adding alkaline hot water and optionally steam to said oil sands to obtain a solids-rich stream and a liquid-rich stream;(b) passing said solids-rich steam trough a first separation zone and said liquid-rich stream through a second separation zone.
CA 566258 1988-05-09 1988-05-09 Method and apparatus for separation of heterogeneous phase Expired CA1309050C (en)

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* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US7677397B2 (en) 2004-07-30 2010-03-16 Suncor Energy Inc. Sizing roller screen ore processing apparatus
US8016216B2 (en) 2005-11-09 2011-09-13 Suncor Energy Inc. Mobile oil sands mining system
US8025341B2 (en) 2005-11-09 2011-09-27 Suncor Energy Inc. Mobile oil sands mining system
US8328126B2 (en) 2008-09-18 2012-12-11 Suncor Energy, Inc. Method and apparatus for processing an ore feed
US8393561B2 (en) 2005-11-09 2013-03-12 Suncor Energy Inc. Method and apparatus for creating a slurry

Cited By (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US7677397B2 (en) 2004-07-30 2010-03-16 Suncor Energy Inc. Sizing roller screen ore processing apparatus
US8136672B2 (en) 2004-07-30 2012-03-20 Suncor Energy, Inc. Sizing roller screen ore processing apparatus
US8851293B2 (en) 2004-07-30 2014-10-07 Suncor Energy, Inc. Sizing roller screen ore processing apparatus
US8016216B2 (en) 2005-11-09 2011-09-13 Suncor Energy Inc. Mobile oil sands mining system
US8025341B2 (en) 2005-11-09 2011-09-27 Suncor Energy Inc. Mobile oil sands mining system
US8317116B2 (en) 2005-11-09 2012-11-27 Suncor Energy Inc. Method and apparatus for processing a sized ore feed
US8393561B2 (en) 2005-11-09 2013-03-12 Suncor Energy Inc. Method and apparatus for creating a slurry
US9016799B2 (en) 2005-11-09 2015-04-28 Suncor Energy, Inc. Mobile oil sands mining system
US8328126B2 (en) 2008-09-18 2012-12-11 Suncor Energy, Inc. Method and apparatus for processing an ore feed
US8622326B2 (en) 2008-09-18 2014-01-07 Suncor Energy, Inc. Method and apparatus for processing an ore feed

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